THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ANA!
Tradition of “Once laureates of the festival, and today?” program will continue again this year. In a way, this is how we try to keep up with the professional development of our high school filmmakers. Some end up in the world of film and some in a completely different, but successful field.
This year we are presenting two Anas – director Ana Opačić and Croatian language and Media culture professor Ana Đordić. Two film nights will turn two Karlovac rivers into natural cinemas – one night it will be Mrežnica while the other night Dobra and on both nights we will learn the importance of being Ana!
Ana Opačić – I am working on my PhD in Skopje, creating my own film and living my dream!
Ana Opačić
Ana Opačić from Kinoklub Split won the award for the best experimental film at the 13th Youth Film Festival in 2008. Jury members Petar Krelja (director), Boško Picula (film critic), Vedran Šamanović (photography director), Slavko Štimac (actor) and Vjekoslav Živković (animator) were unanimous in their decision. Notes about Ana’s film “Kojih nije bilo” state:
Vedran Šamanović: ”Surreal film with clear form. Good sense for shot composition, detail recognition and role of sound on film. Clever expression of colors with the goal of stressing the differences between black and white and color photography and the effects they represent.”
Boško Picula: “One of the best films at the Festival when it comes to filming. It owes a lot to surreal concept and playing with contrasts. Excellent composition of shots, skillful usage of music and sounds and persuasive minimalistic acting are this film’s main qualities. First impression of this film is – talent!”
Vjekoslav Živković: “Great concept. Expressive film leaves the impression that every detail was planned.”
Award in Karlovac opened some new paths in life for Ana: “Award in Karlovac was a surprise in many ways. My biggest wish was, even though I was still a girl at the time, which I later fulfilled, to study directing and this definitely set the path for my future life. I knew very little about the people that awarded me that night, especially about remarkable and never forgotten mister Vedran Šamanović who gave me a positive push and without whose fair treatment I would never even dare to go into professional film. Destiny must have had its hands in all of this. It would be unjust not to mention Mister Petar Krelja and Slavko Štimac… The rest is history…” After graduating at Arts Academy, University of Split / Film and Video Department, Ana went to Macedonia where she started her PHD at their national university UKiM, majoring in Cultural studies: “Now I’m working on my PhD in Skopje where my professors gave me all the support so I can teach Screen writing at the Academy, write for newspapers and, of course, work on my own film and live my dream. Macedonia feels like home.”
At this year’s festival, besides “Kojih nije bilo”, we will show Ana’s new short fiction film “Yellow Parasol”. Film tells a story about a girl and her last day of summer break. Unusual circumstances leave her to discover something she shouldn’t have known and which ends her innocent childhood.
Anyways, we are expecting to see Ana from Split, through Karlovac and Skopje advance to Cannes soon.